IKEA Alsulaiman And Memac Ogilvy Turn Modern Football’s Strangest Tactic Into Discounts

Football is constantly evolving. Players get better, tactics become more intricate, and the smallest margins can change the outcome of a match. Which is why, in recent years, one of the game’s most unusual defensive moves has become a familiar sight: a player lying flat behind the free-kick wall.

You know the guy. Lying flat on the grass, kicking his feet up, looking unusually comfortable in the middle of a high-pressure moment. This tactic often stirs up discussion, laughter, and even sometimes controversy. The move is designed to stop low free kicks from slipping under the wall, but IKEA gave it a different purpose. 

With matches airing late into the night and fans lying back in their sofas catching the action, the resemblance was too good to ignore. When a player lies flat and gets comfortable on the pitch, IKEA promises you’ll get more comfortable at home. 

IKEA launched “Flat Out”, a reactive commercial campaign in Saudi Arabia that offers discounts on sofas every time a player lies flat for a free kick. The mechanic is simple. Keep your eye on the game and wait for the free kick. When a player lies down, simply capture the moment and DM IKEA Saudi Arabia with your email and phone number to earn a discount. Here’s the fun part: the value of the discount is entirely dependent on the player number. If number 25 lies down behind the wall, that’s a flat 25% off.

Alsulaiman Group Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Rami Rihani explains what makes the idea a winner: “Every football fan recognizes the player lying behind the wall. We saw more than a defensive tactic, we saw an opportunity to connect with fans in a way that felt natural, timely, and unmistakably IKEA. If the players are getting comfortable on the pitch, we think our customers deserve to get even more comfortable at home. ‘Flat Out’ reflects our approach to balancing relevance with commercial objectives by creating brand interactions that don’t interrupt the experience but rather enhance it. When fans are rewarded for paying closer attention to the game they already love, everyone wins.”

So far, the campaign has already generated several sofa discounts, with customers actively taking part and earning rewards on their next IKEA sofas. With a few games still to go, there is still plenty more to watch for.

IKEA Flat Out turns a simple observation into a fun and engaging commerce activation. It creates a game within the game, giving fans a new reason to watch closely, hunt for discounts, and enjoy every moment of late-night football from the comfort of their sofas.